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Schools eye new administration facility
The Fairfax County School Board is considering purchasing a second administration building in Merrifield for $52 million.The purchase of the 275,000-square-foot building adjacent to the Gatehouse Administration Center I, off Gallows Road in the Jefferson Park office complex, would continue the school system's effort to consolidate its 1,700 administrative employees in a central location.
In addition to the purchase price, the school system is prepared to spend up to $5 million renovating the building, according to a staff report. The purchase would be financed by bonds, and schools staff believe the savings from ending other leases would cover the bond payments.
The new facility could allow the school system to vacate six county-owned administrative facilities – Devonshire, Lacey, Dunn Loring, Leis, Wilton Woods and Sprague centers – three of which would likely be converted to schools and three of which would be transferred to Fairfax County. It would also allow the school system to end leases in four locations, according to a staff report.
Several other properties would be affected as well, including Luther Jackson Middle School, the site of school board public hearings, which would regain full use of its auditorium.
Over the course of 31 years, purchasing the building would save $22.2 million over the current costs for operating the owned and leased facilities, according to the staff report. However, that projection assumes that 18 administrative staff positions will be eliminated by 2010.
The current tenant of the building, the American Red Cross, is slated to end its lease in October, so schools staff could potentially occupy the building by next year.
The school board will discuss the proposal at its meeting Thursday and is slated to make a final recommendation on the potential purchase by Sept. 4.
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